Quest Invasion of Dhunbor

[Thovir Ironheart]

OOC: Dice Rolls: 18 to the Wrym (massive success, monster is not only dead but its body crushes some of the Goblins and Elves when it collapses.) 14 for the Drow counterattack (moderate casualties to the Dwarven infantry.) and 14 (assault by the ballistae is somewhat successful. Casualties to the Drow army are decent but Thovir and the others will have to fight a bit harder.)

General Helmir observe the battle through his mini telescope beside him lay 8 Ballistae far away from the battlefield. The Dwarven army had made some progress but the Spider Riders along with the giant Wrym and Troll made things difficult. "Ironheart better be careful," Helmir said huffing through his thick, blond beard. "He can be a stubborn and reckless fool even a for a Dwarf."

To make it all this way from Elbion to the Spine only to lose would be unacceptable. The Gray Dwarves, as reclusive as they might be, have been Kal Palthras ally for many years and one of the few Dwarves that they've kept in contact with since their ancestors exile from Belgrath. "My lord!" One of the soldiers took Helmir from his train of thought as he pointed him towards a lone War Goat riding to their direction. "One of ours heading our way!"

"I have eyes lad," the general placed the telescope in his pocket while the bloodied rider hastily jumped off his Goat. "General!" he said. "Ironheart needs you to aim the Ballistae at the Wrym!"

"Of course he does!" Helmir said nodding at the handlers as they aimed their massive bolts at the beast. "Tell him that we'll also provide covering fire while he begins his counterattack. Well launch our assault each time after the Horn of Durnnam is heard."

"Thank you sir!" Dripping with sweat, blood and gore a shaky smile formed on the rider's face. He ran back to his Goat nearly tripping in the process.

"Let's get this done!"Helmir signaled two five of the Ballistae crew to aim for the Wrym. "FIRE!" the crack of bolts hurled at the Wrym followed by the sound of the Horn of Durnnam.

Thovir watched as the Drow inflicted moderate casualties upon the infantry. While many Spider Riders were knocked from their rides. Some Goblins managed to recover and leapt on to the shieldwall repeatedly stabbing the Dwarves to death. "They move like feral beasts," Thovir mumbled seeing the his troops retreating to Thovir's position. The Wrym continued to wreck havoc at the soldiers eating them alive and setting some on fire with its flame. "I hope they bloody get the message," Thovir grumbled witnessing the carnage. "Otherwise-"

Just then a large bolt slammed at the Wyrm's throat, the creature gave a roar of pain. The sound echoing through the underground city. Thovir laughed in triumph, hearing the sound of the Horn of Durnnam. "Can always count on my cousin!" he said as four more bots riddled the Wrym as blood poured from its body collapsing on the Goblin and Drow alike. A tremor was felt as soon as the Wrym lay down dead creating cracks on the bridge.

"Sir!" The War Goat messenger rider caught up with Thovir. "The Ballistae will cover our advance as soon as the horn blows!"

"Aye!" Thovir formed his hand into a fist signaling the War Goats and the infantry to form up once again. "Let's smash these tree hugging nitwits!"

Another sound of the horn and 5 ballistae launched at the army inflicting moderate damage the bolts shattering against the Drow and the Goblins, flesh, blood and bones were spread every where. "CHARGE!" Thovir rose his Warhammer up high leading the War Goats and the infantry deep in the bridge killing every Drow and Goblin as they advanced. "We're halfway there lads and lassies!" he roared smashing the face of a Goblin as he did so. "KEEP FIGHTING!"

 

[Vyx'aria]

Vyx was pleasantly surprised when the King actually chose to exchange words. Perhaps her attacks had finally softened things up a bit. The civilians had remained untouched, only those that ran into battle among the victims. The Drow Queen paid no heed to the rest of the battle for this moment, her crimson gaze fixated upon the Duergar king.

“I am Vyx’aria Tor’Rahel, Queen of the Drow,” She shouted out in the underrealm common, “For thousands of years our people have fought one another. Lives were lost on both sides and entire cities were destroyed,” Vyx ducked as a random dwarf helmet went sailing through the air and almost hit her. Her gaze never shifted from the king.

“I will have us stop this battle but have you join us,” Vyx didn’t wait for him to respond to that sentence, “No more blood needs to be shed. I wish to expand out of these tunnels we were banished to. Together we can reclaim our ancestral homes. Together we can take back Belgrath and other dwarven cities that cast you out.”

Vyx gestured out with her hand at all the dead bodies around them - dwarves, drow, orcs, naga - “We can keep butchering one another or stand together and become a force to be reckoned with. Let Arethil learn of the will of Zharr. Let Arethil tremble in fear and awe of the fires of your people. Let your name pass down in history as the King that brought his kin to glory beyond what his ancestors could achieve.”

The blade in her hand slowly leveled to point at him, “Exalt yourself to Zharr himself and command the table you feast at in the afterlife. Will you? Or will you stand there and watch your people butchered?”

Bronni Strakeln

 

[Bronni Strakeln]

King Hulgor snapped his fingers at a nearby dwarf the second Vyx'aria had finished pronouncing her name and title. He didn't seem particularly interested in the dreary talks of peace that followed and his men took a hint, with one actually threw a dwarf helmet towards this 'Drow Queen'. The King smiled in approval and waited for Vyx'aria to finish her monologue, or rather, "Ah there you are!"

The same Duergar he had snapped his fingers to earlier now returned with an old gold- and ruby-adorned book and opened it right in front of the 415 year old King. Hulgor took the feather, dipped it in ink, and squinted at the paper. "Now let's see, Vyx'aria Tor'Rahel, Queen of the Drow-" he muttered as he wrote down her name in the Royal Book of Grudges, then seemed to remember something and started turning the pages towards the beginning, saying "aha!" every couple of pages.

The personal guard, and every Duergar present that was still capable of holding a weapon, suddenly snapped ready to charge when Vyx'aria pointed her blade at the King, finally reclaiming his attention from his book.

"Did you know I got the names of four of your predecessors in here?" he asked, pointing to the book that someone else was still holding for him. Now, you have to understand that as a Duergar, Hulgor had a born predilection for pettiness which had been cultivated for over 400 years by the proximity of a book that recorded every real or perceived slight he and the line of Kings had ever been a victim to. To top that, he really wasn't interested in glory or conquering Arethil, but... being the King that is able to scratch our the first grudge in the Royal Book of Grudges; being able to take appropriate revenge on the dwarves of Belgrath, take its riches and destroy it.. There were so many Drow Queens in that book none of his descendants would really find him scratching Vyx'aria Tor'Rahel off as anything noteworthy.

"But what do we say of Belgrath?" he continued, directing the words to the Duergar that surrounded him. As if they were one entity, all the dwarves lifted their facemasks and spat on the hot stone floor.

"If ye had only written your speech on one of your Emril mines-" he started to giggle slighty, "-we would've known sooner." More Duergar joined him in a short giggle. Even Bronni Strakeln couldn't help but suppress one, for they prided themselves on their tricks and cons to convince Drow to abandon perfectly fine mines.

Nevertheless, King Hulgor was in a pickle. For one he knew he couldn't sack Belgrath on his own, but he also couldn't just make friends with someone who had just killed so many of his warriors in an attack on Dhunbor. The Duergar around him looked at him and he knew they were waiting for his answer..

"Speaking of-" he began, his mind burning hot trying to come up with a solution, "-the great Zharr. And his will!"

He lifted the hand with the glowing ruby in the air and all Duergar instinctively ducked slightly. The power of Zharr, lord of magna, was infinite and his will was the law for the Duergar.. but if Hulgor could manipulate what everyone perceived to be the 'his will'...

"Let us ask the AVATAR OF ZHARR!"

The ruby on his hand suddenly glowed so bright it cast a light on all the halls of Dhunbor, blinding everyone including the King himself until it suddenly diminished and from the magma river emerged a giant fire elemental, its black eyes directed at Hulgor as if to await a command.

"Behold!" the Duergar King bellowed with an ominous tone of voice, "the AVATAR OF ZHARR."

"He speaks ONLY to the ROYAL LINE OF DHUNBOR. So make your pitch, Drow Queen, and I shall translate his will!"

 

[The Nameless One]

The Nameless One looks out over the dwarves that were approaching his people on the bridge, the elf thinks for a moment before he starts to chant something. Then in a flash of bright red light, lighting shot to and through their enemy forces. He did not know how many died or were severely wounded from his attack, but he knew that metal would conduct electricity which was similar to fire in a few ways. But that was the limit of his elemental magic he knew.

Some of them collapsed immediately, others had a convulsion and then fell off the bridge. It was a grizzly scene. But it seemed to have lightened the load on his allies for a while.


With assisting the spymaster and whoever was in charge of the drow on the bridge he once more goes back through the city and quickly starts to examine houses and anywhere which could house someone of great importance to the army and to the people of the city. A thin layer of ice cracked onto the walls and where he would stand, but due to the heat and warmth it would melt away quickly. Those who he passed would notice the chill in the air and their breaths visible in the air if they were close enough.

Vyx'aria

 

[Vyx'aria]

Vyx couldn’t help but grin at the comment of how many Queens there had been, “Then you understand that I too am trying to break myself from the folly of my ancestors,” She called out, and she could tell her words were making him think. The other Duergar around them began to slow down and watched with interest.

When the King called upon the elemental, Vyx cursed to herself and jumped down from her elevated position. She prepared for a fight, but the elemental truly stood in silence and awaited a command. Was this summoned from a trinket the king possessed? Her face betrayed her awe at the sheer powers the dwarf commanded.

“Oh great and mighty avatar of Zharr!” She shouted, her skin sweating profusely from the heat. In the distance, the battle continued to rage on, but it was a blur of motions and colors to her, “I promise you vengeance upon the dwarves that stopped worshipping you. I ask you to consider all your wisdom and knowledge and gaze into the future! You can tell us if there is glory! You can tell us if you see a future where Duergar rise from the depths of the Underrealm once more and expand far beyond they ever had before!”

Vyx wasn’t entirely sure the elemental could actually talk, but she wasn’t going to mention anything out loud. A bit of manipulation needed to happen here to consider the interests of both her and the King. The Duergar soldiers waited expectantly for an answer, some regarding the elemental with wide open mouths.

"Speak through your king, mighty champion of Zharr!"

Bronni Strakeln

 

[Bronni Strakeln]

The mischievous grin on the King's face was hard to hide while the Drow Queen addressed the magna elemental. He could already see himself standing in the throne room at Belrath, hugging diamonds and being dressed in the most exquisite of armors while the Arragoth dwarves kneeled and bowed in reverence. There were no Drow in this vision, which could mean many things that he would have to discern later on.

Meanwhile the elemental appeared to be listening to Vyx'aria as its black eyes shifted from the King towards the Queen. It didn't understand a word but whoever controlled it was making it stay still, forcing it to go against its very nature of raging and destroying all around him. The Duergar knew this very elemental for its destructive prowess only from the stories of prior sieges to their great city. Seeing it tower above them had impressed them beyond measure and for the first time since the fighting stopped they actually seemed to drop their guards. Bronni, too, but for similar reasons to that of the King as he dreamed of the riches of Belgrath as well.

King Hulgor rubbed the ruby twice from behind his Royal Book of Grudges and the Elemental let out a piercing cry and retreated back into the river.

"I HEARD ZHARR'S WILL-" Hulgor bellowed quickly to avoid his people's own interpretations of the event, "He wants us to punish the Arragoth for abandoning him!"

Directing his attention to Vyx'aria, who appeared to be hiding behind the cart she had been standing upon, the Duergar King made a notion for her to return to her elevated position. "Queen Vyx'aria, the Duergar of Dhunbor will fight alongside you." he paused, many Duergar who had just lost friends or family turned to him in surprise, "But!" he added, "If by the end of my life we do not hold Belgrath the mightly Zharr will burn all of your people out of his underrealm and you will have made an eternal enemy of the Duergar of Dhunbor for your deception."

Selfish motivations after all. Hulgor now wanted to go down in history as the Duergar King that took Belgrath. thus he needed to give the Drow motivation to follow through on their promise. Hulgor was an old dwarf, after all, and that meant they only had a single human lifespan to do what no army had done in thousands of years: take Belgrath. As all Duergar on the field of battle were younger than him he didn't technically rob them of the opportunity to write the Drow into their personal book of grudges and act on it once he dies. Not that a simple alliance would stop them...

 

[Ta'Kar]

Ta'Kar didn't even have time to think. Everything he did was out of instinct. One flick of his wrist and a splatter of blood would collide against his face. The drow didn't even know who he was attacking as he pretty much struck at anything that chose to stand in front of him. When he dodged a hammer and thrust his blade in retaliation, a body of a dwarf fell near him and it allowed to finally glance around the battle.

The wyrm had multiple ballistae arrows pierce right through its skin, the creature letting out a squeal before finally collapsing onto the ground and taking anyone who was underneath the massive creature. The dwarf that led the army rode on his goat once more and led another vanguard straight towards the bridge, intending to at least get himself across. Ta'Kar had no intention of letting them pass through still while he was still alive.

The drow dashed from his position and started to come at an angle that would intersect with the goat riders. As he ran, he saw the troll he bought was still in the heat of it, swinging its club with glee into the ground around him as bodies and dirt flew into the air. Ta'Kar slipped past a couple of strikes before simply launching himself onto the back of the troll once more. He pointed towards the goat riders and kicked the troll hard, the creature eventually understanding the gist and charging forward toward the goats.

The arrows from the ballistae descended around them, clumps of soldiers uplifted from the ground as massive bolts slammed into the ground. Some were unlucky and simply got impaled with others and were stuck there until they bled out. But Ta'Kar, riding the troll, headed straight for the bridge and riders, having to dodge arrows with the troll even using his club to smack one out of the air towards the both of them. The frontline will hold, they had, they were fighting for their queen.

Thovir would be riding straight towards the bridge but he would start to hear a rumbling even through the sounds of battle. A few moments later, he would witness the troll leap into the air, its club above its head. Ta'Kar had jumped off the creature and aimed straight toward Ironheart and if he connected, the dwarf would be knocked off his goat and the two of them would tumble on the ground before rolling apart.

The troll would slam its club onto the ground once it landed it wasn't interrupted, disrupting the formation of riders as it would start swinging its weapon wildly disperse them and allow them to be picked off by any drow or other soldiers that happened to be nearby.

 

[Thovir Ironheart]

Drow and Goblin corpses began flying in the air, with each horn blow the large bolts from the Ballistae fire high in the air and land down on the hapless fools that dare oppose Thovir and his troops on their way to the gates of the city. Body parts scattered with a Drow's arm hitting Thovir in the eye, he smirked as blood filled his face. The glory of battle, the stench just placing his warhammer on a poor sod's leg snapping in half and hearing the Elf's cry was like listening to a symphony. The enemies lamentation was the singers, the War Goats and Bessie along with the clanging of steel were the instruments.

And the Ballistae oh Gods the Ballistae was like a crescendo as it hammered the Goblin and Drow forces. War was an art form and the warhammer was Thovir's paintbrush. As they were near the gate, an Elf attempted to cast a spell on them only to fail miserably. A few War Goat riders fell into sea of lava below while some went on the floor and began convulsing however they immediately shook it off and ran with the Thovir.

"THAT'S THE SPIRIT!" Thovir shouted as they were so close to the gates.

And then a damned Elf leapt from out of nowhere and tackled Thovir off Bessie. "Piece of shite!" Thovir was slammed back first on to the pavement. The Troll began swing its club wildly at the War Goat Riders hitting some of them off their goats and tumbling off the bridge.

"So you boulder brained prick!" Thovir picked up his Warhammer as the infantry reformed ranks trying to fight past the Drow and the Goblin reinforcements. Shield met shield as there was a tug of war between the two factions while the Dwarven backlines launched short spears on to the Troll with two of them penetrating his neck while the rest broke against the steel armor it had however the Troll retreated from the onslaught of short spears heading back to a safe place.

"You want to mess a Dwarf of Kal Palthras?! More importantly an Ironheart Dwarf?!" Thovir's voice roared like thunder as he could see the gates Dhunbor near. "Then hit me with your best shot you primped up princess!" The Dwarf got in his stance while the battle roared around them.

Ta'Kar

 

[Rolegg Magmasworn]

Rolegg charged into the fray, hacking and slashing with his axe against the myriad Drow who sought to bring their home to ruin. So long as he lived, he swore to keep their precious Dhunbor out of elven hands, even if he had to die defending it. With a guttural cry, he slammed his axe down into the skull of a Drow who had lunged ineffectively at him. The weighted head of his axe carved through his helmet like a hot knife through butter and split into the skull with a sickening crunch. Blood and viscera oozed out in a great puddle and he collapsed to the ground unceremoniously. Rolegg began to pull his axe free, but it was firmly lodged in there. He yanked and yanked to no avail, sputtering out a series of curses as he did so.

The enemy advanced on him, forcing him to retreat and leave his axe wedged in his enemy’s head. He groaned and drew his twin hand-axes, shaking his head and sending another stream of incomprehensible swears at the Drow. Soldier, civilian, criminal; all who would fight stood shoulder-to-shoulder, prepared to defend their city and hold the line. If this was where he was to die, then he would do so beside his kinsmen. To die alongside the King’s Guard was an honor, he thought to himself, shortly before parrying a Drow’s blade to the side and slamming one of his axes into their stomach with a backhanded slash.

One of the Drow leaped atop a cart and cried out for the king, giving those gathered around to reform their line to best defend him. What followed was a surprising dialogue between the two; cease hostilities and form an alliance with the very people who sought to destroy their home? The same dark elves who destroyed buildings and slaughtered Duergar? Rolegg uneasily shifted his weight between his two legs, staring at the gathered enemy line while their leaders exchanged words. One of his axes dripped with blood, its twin some ten meters off to the side after being knocked from his hands. To compensate, he used his helmet as a bludgeon, his other hand gripping it tightly.

The magma elemental stole his attention, and he gazed at it with awe, never before having seen the creature. He flinched reflexively as it was banished back into the depths from whence it came, then returned his attention back to the Drow across from them. Everywhere else, the battle raged on as if this discussion weren’t happening, and he prepared for the Drow’s treachery any moment now. Their enemy had numbers, but the Duergar would fight until their dying breath to defend the king behind them.

He just hoped the chance to take vengeance upon those written in his Book of Grudges would make itself known before his untimely demise.

 

[Vyx'aria]

Vyx had to keep from having the grin spread across her face. She could guess that the King wanted to make his own mark in history. Duergar kings lived very long lives, and most of them lived them without doing anything remotely significant. In some ways, the same was true of her people. This was a moment in history where they were two leaders given the reins to drastically shift the tides of their people.

She lowered her blade then, meeting the King’s gaze. He would live this day, and so would the civilians in this city. Vyx lifted her hand and gave the signal for everyone to halt combat.

“HOLD YOUR FIRE!”

All those under her would lay down their arms. They wouldn’t attack unless provoked. Vyx carefully made her way towards the King, though her weapon was still at her side and not drawn.

“I promise you, King Bonebuster, that you will not regret this,” Passion burned in her eyes, “If we fail to expand, then I will willingly throw myself at the mercy of your elemental, for I would have failed.”

Bronni Strakeln

 

[Ta'Kar]

Ta'Kar tumbled with the dwarf, both of them unable to strike each other as they simply collided onto the ground and separated before the two of them could react. With a blade slammed into the ground, the drow pushed himself up slightly and shook his head as pebbles and rocks fell out of his white hair. His gaze found the troll, wreaking havoc on the goat riders before finally, it seized all attention on itself. It received some ballistae before finally retreating but it didn't matter to him, it did its job well enough.

Ta'Kar finally got to his feet as he shook his shoulders and stared at the dwarf that was across from him with his massive war hammer. At the dwarf's question of how he possibly wanted to take on the dwarfs, even he would be able to hear the drow laugh sharply through the battle, "Ironheart, Duergar, all of you bleed and die just the same." The drow pulled out his other sword, one in each hand as he set his feet and stared down his opponent.

Unlike his other compatriots, Ta'Kar didn't have a lick of magic in him and the fight between the two would be of martial skill and their previous experience. The dwarf will not pass unless he stepped over the dead drow's body. Without wasting another second, the drow dashed forward with surprising speed, the sword in his right hand swinging at the dwarf diagonally from his right to his left. The drow's other sword remained in his left hand as he waited to see just how good the dwarf was.

Thovir Ironheart

 

[Thovir Ironheart]

The sound from the Horn of Durnnam signaled the five Ballistae to continue to reign down massive bolts on to the Drow and Goblin lines inflicting multiple causalities. The Dwarven infantry slowly advanced towards Thovir's position. Moving as soon as the Ballistae destroyed the backlines inch by inch, corpse by corpse the Dwarven line advanced killing 2 Drow or Goblin (often both) for every Dwarf that fell. While the battle raged around them, Thovir gripped his Warhammer his eyes glued onto the Dark Elf. The ploughing shit eating, knife eared cunt that he is standing in his way to the city.

Ironheart wondered where the War Goats went, it was possible that they're going around for another pass. The Dwarf sighed as a smile formed on his face "Aye!" he smiled jumping back evading the Drow's diagnal strike. "Isn't that adorable?! The little boy thinks he's a man at fighting at a war it warms my heart!"

Just then Thovir's warhammer began to glow an orange red he raised the weapon over his head and struck the ground creating an earthshatter. The cracks reached to the Drow's feet presumably knocking him down landing on his back.

"Hah!" Thovir yelled as another barrage of Ballistae bolts pierced the ground. "How do you like that?! You pointy eared princess?!"

Ta'Kar